28 May 2010

Traditional Confirmations at the Institute's Oakland Apostolate and a Trip Down Memory Lane

Jay Balza has good coverage of the Confirmations celebrated by His Excellency Salvatore Cordileone on May 20 at St. Margaret Mary in Oakland, CA--an apostolate of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

I really posted this just to include the photograph above. No, that's not Bishop William Avis. It is Canon Avis, Rector of Old St. Patrick Oratory in Kansas City, and formerly Vicar at St. Francis de Sales Oratory. But, alas, he is not a Bishop. Canon Avis, the Master of Ceremonies for the Mass, is shown vested this way, in traditional fashion, because of the rank of the prelate celebrating the Mass. I would like to think it is a sneak preview of future events; if so, it means better days are ahead for the Church.

Canon Avis was also Master of Ceremonies for the Pontifical Low Mass, in Kansas City, of His Excellency Bishop Robert Finn on September 14, 2007, the effective date of the motuproprioSummorumPontificum. I remember greeting him that day by addressing him as "Monsignor". Luckily, he got the joke, but probably thought I was indiscreet.

As a bonus, here is another picture of Canon Avis with another good Bishop, Archbishop Raymond Burke. This photo was taken on the day of Canon Avis' priestly ordination in St. Louis, and he is imparting to His Grace his priestly blessing.